--- name: "Henry Hull" canonical: "https://film.one/person/henry-hull" roles: ["Actor"] born: "2 October 1890" died: "8 March 1977" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-19T23:46:21.845502+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Henry Hull Actor. Born 2 October 1890 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Died 8 March 1977. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 2 October 1890, Louisville, Kentucky, USA - **Died:** 8 March 1977 - **Also known as:** Henry Watterson Hull - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hull, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1340277, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401434/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/40180 ## Fi1m on Henry Hull > A stage actor who never entirely left the stage, Henry Hull brought a plummy voice and a theatrical manner to thirty years of doctors, editors and grumbling men with money. In small doses, which is how Hollywood mostly served him, it works. In *Boys Town* (1938) Father Flanagan needs money and goes to Dave Morris, a pawnbroker, and Henry Hull complains about every dollar before handing it over. He does it more than once, and it is the film's best running joke. We laughed each time the wallet came out, because Hull plays the grievance at full volume and the generosity as something he would rather nobody noticed. It is a small part in a film that admires its subject too much to doubt it, and Hull is one of the few people in it allowed to be difficult. He came to films late. He had been on Broadway since 1911, after studying engineering, and in 1933 he created Jeeter Lester in *Tobacco Road*, which ran until 1941. Hollywood took him from the mid-1930s, but he stayed a free-lancer so that he could go back to the theatre, and he made 74 films before stopping in 1966, with television westerns and dramas after that. His one screen lead of note was Dr Wilfred Glendon in *Werewolf of London* (1935), the first werewolf feature. After that the studios mostly used him as the man in the good suit: 'Doc' Banton in *High Sierra* (1941), Charles J. Rittenhouse in Hitchcock's *Lifeboat* (1944), Henry Cameron, the mentor architect, in *The Fountainhead* (1949). What he brought was the voice, rich and cultured and plummy, and the stagecraft that came with it: the pause before the line, the hand that finishes the sentence. It suited authority and it suited eccentricity, and he was cast for both, as doctors, editors and industrialists who could be relied on to fill a scene without being asked twice. It did not always suit the camera. The manner was formed in the theatre of the early 1900s, and it can come across as declamatory and dated, in *The Return of Frank James* (1940) among others. A fellow player on *Lifeboat* summed him up as a slice of ham, and the phrase has stuck. We would put it more kindly. Ham is what stage technique gets called when there is a camera in the way, and Hull never pretended there was not one. The pawnbroker in *Boys Town* is the size of part that suits him: long enough to establish the manner, not long enough for it to wear. If Dave Morris is to your taste, the doctor, the ship's passenger and the architect are waiting in the same voice, and none of them will be doing anything quietly. ## Biography Henry Watterson Hull (3 October 1890 – 8 March 1977) was an American character actor. He appeared in 74 films between 1917 and 1966, frequently in supporting roles, and had a substantial stage career. Hull was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He studied engineering before turning to acting and made his Broadway debut in 1911. He originated the role of Jeeter Lester in the long-running Broadway production of Tobacco Road (1933). His film credits include the lead role of Dr Wilfred Glendon in Werewolf of London (1935), Dave Morris in Boys Town (1938), Charles Rittenhouse in Lifeboat (1944), Doc Banton in High Sierra (1941), and Henry Cameron in The Fountainhead (1949). He also appeared in television series including Bonanza. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, tvinsider.com.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Boys Town* (1938), Fi1m 65, as Dave Morris — [page](https://film.one/film/boys-town.md) ## Complete filmography (88) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *The Chase* (1966), as Briggs - *The Fool Killer* (1965), as Dirty Jim Jelliman - *Master of the World* (1961), as Prudent - *Route 66* (1960), series, Actor - *Outlaws* (1960), series, Actor - *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Sheriff B. Banneman Brown, Charlie Trent - *The Oregon Trail* (1959), as George Seton - *The Buccaneer* (1958), as Ezra Peavey - *The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw* (1958), as Major Masters - *Naked City* (1958), series, as Alky - *Bitter Heritage* (1958), as Old Henry - *The Proud Rebel* (1958), as Judge Morley - *Trackdown* (1957), series, Actor - *The Buckskin Lady* (1957), as Dr. James Goldsboro ('Doc') Medley - *Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre* (1956), series, as Hutch Wallace - *Kentucky Rifle* (1956), as Preacher Bently - *Man with the Gun* (1955), as Marshal Lee Sims - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Abel Kirsch - *Thunder Over the Plains* (1953), as Lt. Col. Chandler - *Inferno* (1953), as Sam Elby - *The Last Posse* (1953), as Ollie Stokely - *The Treasure of Lost Canyon* (1952), as Cousin Lucius Cooke - *Hollywood Story* (1951), as Philip Ferrara / Vincent St. Clair - *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Jason W. Finchley, Brig. Gen. William Elred - *The Return of Jesse James* (1950), as Hank Younger - *Song of Surrender* (1949), as Deacon Parry - *The Great Dan Patch* (1949), as Dan Palmer - *The Fountainhead* (1949), as Henry Cameron - *Colorado Territory* (1949), as Fred Winslow - *The Great Gatsby* (1949), as Dan Cody - *Rimfire* (1949), as Nathaniel Greeley - *El Paso* (1949), as Henry Jeffers - *Suspense* (1949), series, as Sheriff - *Portrait of Jennie* (1948), as Eke - *Fighter Squadron* (1948), as Brig. Gen. Mike McCready - *The Walls of Jericho* (1948), as Jefferson Norman - *Belle Starr's Daughter* (1948), as The Old Marshal (uncredited) - *Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay!* (1948), as Milt Dominy - *On Our Merry Way* (1948), as Dying Man (deleted sequence) (uncredited) - *Mourning Becomes Electra* (1947), as Seth Beckwith - *Deep Valley* (1947), as Cliff Saul - *High Barbaree* (1947), as Dr. William G. Brooke - *Objective, Burma!* (1945), as Mark Williams - *Goodnight, Sweetheart* (1944), as Jeff Parker - *Lifeboat* (1944), as Charles J. Rittenhouse - *The Woman of the Town* (1943), as Inky Wilkinson - *Seeds of Freedom* (1943), as Guerilla leader - *The West Side Kid* (1943), as Sam Winston - *High Sierra* (1941), as 'Doc' Banton - *The Return of Frank James* (1940), as Major Rufus Cobb - *My Son, My Son!* (1940), as Dermot O’Riordan - *Judge Hardy and Son* (1939), as Dr. Jones - *Nick Carter, Master Detective* (1939), as John A. Keller - *Bad Little Angel* (1939), as Red Wilks - *Babes in Arms* (1939), as Madox - *Stanley and Livingstone* (1939), as James Gordon Bennett, Jr. - *Miracles for Sale* (1939), as Dave Duvallo - *The Return of the Cisco Kid* (1939), as Colonel Joshua Bixby - *The Spirit of Culver* (1939), as Doc Allen - *Jesse James* (1939), as Maj. Rufus Cobb - *The Great Waltz* (1938), as Franz Josef - *Boys Town* (1938), as Dave Morris — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/boys-town.md) - *Port of Seven Seas* (1938), as Uncle Elzear - *Paradise for Three* (1938), as Sepp - *Three Comrades* (1938), as Dr. Becker - *Yellow Jack* (1938), as Dr. Jesse Lazear - *Werewolf of London* (1935), as Dr. Wilfred Glendon - *Transient Lady* (1935), as Sen. Hamp Baxter - *Great Expectations* (1934), as Abel Magwitch - *Famous Scenes from Pagliacci* (1934), as Pagliacci - *Midnight* (1934), as Nolan - *The Devil's Mate* (1933), as Chaplin - *Matinee Idle* (1930), as Frank the Actor - *The Wrongdoers* (1925), as Jimmy Nolan - *Wasted Lives* (1925), Actor - *For Woman's Favor* (1924), as The Fool / The Lover - *The Hoosier Schoolmaster* (1924), as Ralph Hartsook - *Roulette* (1924), as Jimmy Moore - *A Bride for a Knight* (1923), as Jimmy Poe - *East Side - West Side* (1923), Theatre Play - *The Last Moment* (1923), as Hercules Napolean Cameron - *One Exciting Night* (1922), as John Fairfax - *Tom's Little Star* (1919), Actor - *Little Women* (1918), as John Brooke - *The Volunteer* (1917), as Jonathan Mendenhall - *Rasputin, the Black Monk* (1917), as Kerensky - *The Family Honor* (1917), as Anthony Wayne - *A Square Deal* (1917), as Mark Dunbar ## Gallery - ![American actor Henry Hull.](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-50893fa847ec.jpg) American actor Henry Hull. — Bain News Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Henryhull.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Title: Juliette van Wyck Fremont Abstract/medium: 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-5913c636ca88.jpg) Title: Juliette van Wyck Fremont Abstract/medium: 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller. — Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Juliette_van_Wyck_Fremont_LCCN2014684618.jpg/1280px-Juliette_van_Wyck_Fremont_LCCN2014684618.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Promotional photograph of Henry Hull and Joseph Calleia in the original Broadway stage production of Grand Hotel Caption reads as follows:The thieves whom the b (1931)](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-30ce352bb20c.jpg) Promotional photograph of Henry Hull and Joseph Calleia in the original Broadway stage production of Grand Hotel Caption reads as follows:The thieves whom the b (1931) — Theatre Magazine Company; Vandamm Studio, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Hull-Calleia-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg/1280px-Hull-Calleia-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Promotional photograph of Henry Hull and Eugenie Leontovich in the original Broadway production of Grand Hotel (1930) Caption reads as follows:Baron von Gaigern (1931)](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-fdde4033f925.jpg) Promotional photograph of Henry Hull and Eugenie Leontovich in the original Broadway production of Grand Hotel (1930) Caption reads as follows:Baron von Gaigern (1931) — Theatre Magazine Company; Vandamm Studio, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Hull-Leontovich-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg/1280px-Hull-Leontovich-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Henry Hull](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-4f6b67ff1cf1.jpg) Henry Hull — Image via TMDB - ![Promotional photograph of Sam Jaffe and Henry Hull in the original Broadway production of Grand Hotel Caption reads as follows:Kringelein (Mr. Jaffe) and the Ba (1931)](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-879785c8f180.jpg) Promotional photograph of Sam Jaffe and Henry Hull in the original Broadway production of Grand Hotel Caption reads as follows:Kringelein (Mr. Jaffe) and the Ba (1931) — Theatre Magazine Company; Vandamm Studio, photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Jaffe-Hull-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg/1280px-Jaffe-Hull-Grand-Hotel-1930.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Lobby card for the American mystery film One Exciting Night (1922).](https://film.one/media/person/1230576/gallery-7a17337e1671.jpg) Lobby card for the American mystery film One Exciting Night (1922). — D.W. Griffith Productions / United Artists, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/One_Exciting_Night_lobby_card_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/henry-hull